A second Phillipsburg polling machine has been taken out of service after malfunctioning, according to Warren County Board of Elections officials.

The machine was located in the Heckman House at 530 Heckman St.

"That one froze and was not responding to the voter," Warren County Election Administrator William Duffy said, adding the machine had five votes on it when it froze. "The technician and poll worker could not get it working so it was replaced."

The Heckman House polling machine joins another that was taken out of service earlier in the day from the municipal building.

Rather than highlighting the names he checked on his straight ticket, the machine had selected the names listed below his preferred candidates.

Duffy stated the machine was repaired and brought back to service at 8 a.m.

"Someone voted on the machine a little while later and it started to act up again, and we replaced the machine at 11 a.m.," Duffy said.

Duffy said 34 people used the machine between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Repairing the machine instead of replacing it right away upset Phillipsburg Mayor Harry Wyant Jr., a Republican who is seeking to defend his seat against independent challenger Todd Tersigni, who is a town councilman, and Phillipsburg police Sgt. Richard Halley, a Democrat.

"Right when the first voter had an issue, they should have taken it out immediately," Wyant said, adding Rumfield alerted him at 6:20 a.m. "Every time he was voting for me, it went to the next name."

Tersigni said, "I just hope it all works out and let's just see what happens."

Halley has not returned calls this afternoon.

County board of elections Chairman Robert Stead said the malfunctions of both machines did not effect the voter's choice.

"A voter needs to verify the ballot before the vote is cast," Stead said, noting Warren County voters review a printout of their choices. "There is an opportunity for voters to review choices. The machine doesn’t the cast ballot, only the voter can."

Duffy said that voters cannot keep the printouts.

Stead added a voter cannot review his or her choices after the election.

"That would be impossible because it is a secret ballot," Stead said.

County elections board Chairwoman and former Phillipsburg Mayor Gloria A. Decker could not be reached for comment.

Duffy stated Decker's husband and son were two of the dozen technicians repairing machines.

Wyant would not clarify if he would request action if it was a close race.

"I can’t predict what will happen," Wyant said. "We’ll have to see where the votes are and go from that point on."